Gandhinagar: Union Cooperation and Home Minister Amit Shah said the central government has set a target of setting up a cooperative bank and a milk producers' union in every district of the country. In the next five years, multipurpose primary agricultural credit societies (PACS or PACS) will be set up in two lakh panchayats where there is no cooperative institution.

He was addressing the Sahakar Se Samriddhi program organized on the occasion of the 102nd International Cooperative Day. During this, he thanked the Gujarat government for announcing a subsidy of 50 percent on nano-urea and nano-DAP. Shah said that the cooperative sector is making a very important contribution to the rural and agricultural economy.

National Cooperative Policy will come soon

He urged to increase cooperation among cooperative institutions. He said that the Union Cooperative Ministry has taken many important steps. The target has been set that there should not be any state or district in the country where there is no district cooperative bank and district milk producer union. There are two lakh panchayats in the country where there is no cooperative institution. In the next five years, we will work to create multipurpose PACS in these two lakh panchayats.

He said that the Centre will soon bring a National Cooperative Policy. 1,100 new Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) have been formed in the country. More than one lakh PACS have accepted the new bye-laws. Shah said that the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) will be able to work for the welfare of more cooperative institutions by issuing bonds worth Rs 2,000 crore.

He urged the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and state cooperative banks to make arrangements for PACS and other cooperative institutions to open their accounts in district or state cooperative banks. He says this will strengthen the cooperative sector.

NCOL has been established for organic farming

Shah said that the central government has set up National Cooperative Organic Limited (NCOL) to promote organic products and ensure fair prices to farmers doing organic farming. He said that today Bharat Organic flour has also been introduced by NCOL. Amul has also started a shop of organic products in Delhi. Both Bharat Organic and Amul are trusted and 100 percent organic brands. The Bharat Brand seal is put on organic products only after testing them using the world's most modern technology.

Amul's first exclusive organic shop in Delhi

The Union minister announced that the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and consumer cooperatives will also buy four types of pulses at 100 per cent MSP. The sole aim behind the mantra of 'Sahkar se Samriddhi' given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to bring self-confidence, happiness and prosperity in the lives of 30 crore people who are backward even after 75 years of independence. While e-inaugurating Amul's first exclusive organic shop in Delhi's Mayur Vihar, Shah praised Amul's visionary leadership for promoting organic farming.